Daily Reading ~ November 22

Hoa Vo Uu (Buddha Dharma Education Association)
Venerable Shravasti Dhammika

The Buddha’s Words of Wisdom

With the fading away of joy one remains equanimous, mindful and clearly conscious, and experiences within oneself that happiness of which the Noble One says: Happy indeed is he who abides equanimous and mindful.” Thus one enters and abides in the third jhãna. And with that happiness free from joy one suffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that there is no spot in the entire body that is untouched by the happiness.

Just as in a pond of blue, red or white lotuses, the flowers are born in the water, grow in the water and are fed by the water but do not emerge from the water and thus are suffused, drenched, filled and permeated with cool water, in the same way, one suffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that there is no spot untouched.